Newcastle Baby 2023

| 2023
“Body-Health” for birth and recovery
With great knowledge, guidance, and
support, it is truly amazing how the womans’
body transforms during a pregnancy, to birth
a baby, and then can regain function and
strength following. In society, we do not talk
about this nearly enough. All we see is social
media creating a false picture of pregnancy
and ‘bouncing back’ following birth.
When I hear women say they feel their
body is ‘broken’, I feel disheartened for their
unsupported journey and it drives my passion
as a women’s health and pelvic health
physiotherapist. I wish every woman knew
what I knew and that women health physios
are here for you!
Pregnancy is an extraordinary journey,
your body changes in ways you couldn’t
even imagine, and this is happening
throughout every bodily system – heart,
lungs, ligaments, hormones, and muscles
throughout the whole pelvic floor. With all
these changes you may experience new
areas of pain such as back pain, pelvic
girdle pain, pubic bone pain, hip pain, rib
pain and wrist pain. Coupled with bladder
leakage, haemorrhoids, constipation, and/
or painful sex, and the desire to prevent
damage, this is where excellent, specific,
women’s’ health physio advice is crucial.
My top tips for a body-healthy pregnancy
are:
1. See a women’s health physio
2. Move your body every day
3. Get familiar with your pelvic floor muscles
(and vagina!) – if you don’t know how to
squeeze, this is NORMAL. Let’s learn how to!
4. Learn what to look out for if your pelvic
floor isn’t working well – (conditions can
and do worsen without rehabilitation and
can, and do, with some women, lead to
incontinence of urine and faeces).
5. Manage aches and pain straight away
6. Give yourself a break – why do we think
we need to continue doing everything we
were previously doing AND grow a human at
the same time? You’re allowed to be tired,
grumpy and moody.
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21/10/22 12:31 pm